Slack-adjuster for railway-brakes.



Patented Apr. I

H. A. WAHLERT.

SLACK ADJUSTER FOR RAILWAY BRAKES.

(Application filed Aug. 3 1901.\

(I40 Model.)

INVENTOR,

WITNESUIS il'nirrnn STATES Parisian Orricn.

HENRY A. \VAI'ILERT, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN BRAKE COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

SLACK ADJ LISTER FOR RAILJVAY==BRAKES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 696,524, dated April 1, 1902. Application filed August 3, 1901. Serial No. 70,756. (No model.)

To (all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY A. JVAHLERT, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented ordiscovered acertain new and useful Improvement in Slack-Ad j usters for Railway Brakes, of which improvement the following is a specification.

My invention relates to slack-adjusters for railway-brakes, and has for its object to pro vide an improved construction for applying a slack-adjusting mechanism to the brake-rigging of cars and locomotives.

My invention consists in the use of an adjusting-lever which is pivoted to the fulcrumblock of a takeup mechanism and is connected at two other separate points with different members of the brake-rigging, all as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, which show an embodiment of my invention applied to a locomotive-driver brake-rigging, Figure 1 is a side elevation, Fig. 2 a plan View, and Fig. 3 a transverse section, of the take-up motor,

taken on the line x at of Fig. 1.

The brake-cylinder 1 is secured on the frame 2, which also carries the fulcrum-bracket 3 of the main operating-lever, having the long arm 4, operated by the brake-piston, and the short arm 5 for connection to the brake-rigging, all of which is the usual construction.

Instead of connecting'the short arm 5 of the main operating-lever directly with the main pull-rod of the brake-rigging the said arm 5 is connected by links 6 with the adjustinglever 7, which is pivoted at one end in the movable fulcrum-block 10 of the take-up mechanism and is connected at its opposite end to the main pull-rod 8 of the brake-rig- 4o ging.

WVhile any suitable form of take-up mechanism may be used to adjust the position of the movable fulcrum-block 10, I have shown one form of such mechanism, comprising a casing 9, secured to the frame by means of brackets 11 and 21 and forming a guide for thefulcrum-block 10, to which the adj ustinglever 7 is pivoted. An adj usting-screw 18 is secured to the fulcrum block and passes through a ratchet-nut 19, which is operated by the take-up motor 13, comprising piston 14, stem 15, pawl 17, and spring 16, the ratchet nut being inclosed by a cover 12, which may be secured to the casing i).

The take-up motoris connected to the brakecylinder by a pressure-pipe 20, which is tapped into the cylinder at the point of desired limit of brake-piston travel, so that when the piston traverses beyond this point, owing to the slack of the brake-rigging, air under pressure from the brake-cylinder passes to the take-up motor and moves the pawl 17 into engagement with the ratchet-nut 19. Then as the brakes are released the spring 16 returns the piston 14 and pawl 17 to the normal position, thus rotating the ratchet-nut 19 and moving the fulcrum-block 10 of the adjusting-lever 7. This movement turns the adjusting-lever slightly about its pivot on links 6 and adjusts Y the position of the pull-rod 8 to compensate for the wear of the brake-shoes.

While I have shown my invention applied to a locomotive brake-rigging, it is not limited to such construction, but may also be applied to the brake-rigging of passenger or freight cars. Other forms of take-up mechanism for adjusting the position of the fulcrum-block may be used, if desired, and I do not claim herein the specific form of take-up mechanism, as such construction constitutes the subject-matter of a copending application, Se rial No. 70,753, filed by me of even date herewith.

Having now described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a brake-rigging, the combination with a main brake-operating lever having a fixed fulcrum, of an adj listing-lever having a mov able f ulcru m-block, a take-up mechanism for 0 adjusting the position of the fulcrum-block,

a pull-rod connected to the adjusting-lever, and a link connecting the main operatinglever with the adj listing-lever.

2. In abrake-rigging, the combination with an adjusting-lever pivoted to a movable fulcru 1n and a take-up mechanism for adjusting the position of said fulcrum, of a pull-rod connected to the adj [lSlJlIlg-IGVGI at one point, another member of the brake-rigging con- :00 nected to the adjusting-lever at a different distance from its fulcrum, and a mainbrakelever having a fixed fulcrum for operating one of said members.

3. In a brake-rigging, the combination of a brake-cylinder, a main brake-lever, an adjusting-lever having a fixed fulcrum, a movable fulcrum-block for the adj Listing-lever, a pull-rod connected to one end of the adj usting-lever, a link connecting the main brakelever with an intermediate point of the adjusting-lever, and a take-11p mechanism for m adjusting the position of the movable fulcrn mblock. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HENRY A. WVAHLER'I. Witnesses:

JAs. B. MACDONALD, E. A. WRIGHT. 

